Process to Excuse Absences
All absences from school must be cleared by parents or guardians within 2 school days.
Methods to excuse absences are:
1. E-Mail to Barbara.Gates@ortrail.k12.or.us or Lori.Galindo@ortrail.k12.or.us
2. Signed Parent Note
3. Phone Call to Attendance Office
***The following information must be included:

Student name

Student ID number

Date(s) of absence

Time period of absence

Reason for absence

A parent/guardian may also write a note to excuse a student. The note must be turned into the attendance office within two days following the absence. The note must contain the same information as above, but also must include a parent signature.

A parent/guardian may also call 503-668-8011 ext. 7105 and speak with the attendance secretary or leave a message. This message line is available 24 hours.

If a parent/guardian knows in advance that he/she will be picking up a student for an appointment during the school day, he/she must send an excused note with the student.

Include the time the student is leaving and a brief description of the appointment. The student should turn in the note at the attendance office prior to the appointment and receive an off-campus pass.

If returning to school on the same day, the student should check back in at the attendance office upon his/her return with the off campus pass.

Leaving during the school day or arriving late:1. Students must check out through the attendance office prior to leaving during the school day for any reason.
2. Students must also check-in at the attendance office if they arrive after the beginning of the school day.

Discipline Consequences for Unexcused Absences:
Students will be held accountable for skipping classes. Consequences will vary according to individual circumstances surrounding a student’s irregular attendance.

1. Possible consequences include after school detentions, an Attendance Meeting, and/or removal from class with no credit.
2. In addition, under policy JIIFDA-Suspension of Driving Privileges, the district can report students with 10 consecutive days unexcused absence or 15 cumulative days unexcused absence in a single semester to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
3. Legal action may be taken as per Oregon Law such as fines, driving privileges suspended and/or both.
4. School administration reserves the right to modify any student’s schedule (grades 9 – 12) as needed. Students who accumulate more than a total of 15 unexcused absences in any class may lose credit in that class and be dropped from that class.

Communication Plan:1. An Automated Dialing Service will call home for each missed class the day after the absence. Please make sure to update phone numbers as necessary. Upon request, the Automated Dialing Service can be set up to call a parent cell phone.
2. Parents can view attendance on-line on Parent Vue (contact the Counseling Secretary for your password).
3. Parents can contact our attendance tracker for attendance.
4. Once your child has 10 unexcused absences in one class, a letter will be sent home to notify you of their irregular attendance.

ATTENDANCE ISSUES
In keeping with the goals and objectives set forth in the attendance policy, the following rules and regulations are established as student responsibilities for attendance at Sandy High School.

Closed Campus. Sandy High School is a closed campus. Once a student arrives on campus, whether by parent or by bus, or by driving themselves, cannot leave without following the proper check out procedures. Once school has begun students must sign out at the Attendance Office.
A. In order for a student to check out from school, the student’s parent/guardian must telephone the Attendance Office or send written notification to the school prior to checkout of the student.
B. A student who leaves the campus without following the correct checkout procedure will be considered unauthorized off campus and will be given the appropriate consequences.

No off Campus Lunch. Pursuant to school Board Policy JEFA, All school campuses are closed from the time of arrival on campus until classes are dismissed at the end of the school day. No student is to leave at any time, for any reason, with exception of a specific need verified by parent and approved by the administrator or designee.

Illness. A student who is sick and wishes to go home must report to the Nurses Office or make arrangements to leave through the Attendance Office.

Student Pass. A student’s first obligation is to be present in his/her scheduled class. If the student must see a counselor, administrator, or other teacher, he/she should make an appointment; notify the teacher in advance of the appointment.

*Tardies may seriously impact the students participation in athletics and activities.

Work Experience/Early Release. When a student arranges his/her schedule to include a period release time, he/she agrees not to be on campus when he/she is not scheduled for a class. Students must honor that agreement.

Finals. A final exam schedule will be followed at the end of each grading period; closed campus rules apply.

Excused vs. Unexcused Absences

Oregon Trail School District recently updated how an absence is identified in terms of being excused or unexcused. OTSD and Oregon Law defines excused absences at the following:

Illness of the student

Illness of an immediate family member when the student’s presence at home is necessary

Emergency situations that require the student’s absence

School field trips and school-approved activities

Medical (dental) appointments when confirmed by the parent

Disciplinary suspension is an excused absence

Examples of unexcused absences are: appointments for haircuts, shopping, family vacation/trips, hunting, or other non-critical personal business. If you are unsure of how an absence will be coded, please call our Attendance Office at 503-668-8011 ext. 7105, 7107 or 7121.

Stay Informed

Resources

It is the policy of the Oregon Trail School Board that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex (gender), marital status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age or disability in any educational programs, activities or employment.